Knocking on Death's Door For You
by Wolfwind97
Summary: Tokine doesn't realize Yoshimori will do anything for her. When Yoshimori goes missing, days later, Sen and Tokine find him at death's door. How did Yoshimori get in this condition? Who done this to him? What do they want? May contain mild Yoshimori x Tokine in later chapters. I do not own Kekkaishi.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been inspired! :D Sorry it's kinda short, but this was just something that hit me!**

***Yoshimori***

"Yoshimori I said leave me alone!" Tokine yelled. "You're so annoying! Why do you think you have to protect me all the time!"

I replied, "Because I can't-" I stopped. _I can't stand the thought of you being hurt again, not because of me. _I thought.

Tokine yelled, "If I want your help Yoshimori, I'll ask for it! I don't need your protection!" She ran away from me as fast as she could, leaving me in my kekkaishi uniform at the Karaumori gate just before dawn. I sighed, jumped the gate and made my way home, planning on sleeping since it was Saturday. _Why do you hate me so much, Tokine?_

**(Later That Day)**

***Tokine***

After a nap, I helped my mother clean the kitchen. "Where's grandma? It's too quiet."

"I know, she's ususally arguing with Sumimura..." Mom said, "Maybe we'll actually get some peace and quiet today." The phone began to ring, "Tokine, will you please answer the phone?"

I nodded and went out in the hallway to answer the phone, "Hello?"

"Tokine, have you seen or talked to Yoshimori?" It was Yoshimori's father.

Confused, I said, "Not since we left Karasumori this morning. Why?"

"He never came home." He said simply. "I don't know where else to look, but if he shows up, will you call me?"

"Yes, I will." I replied, "Call me if you find him."

"Okay, bye." He said and I hung up the phone.

"Who was it dear?" Mom asked.

I was still confused, "That was Yoshimori's dad. Apparently, Yoshimori never made it home." I put on my shoes, "I'm going to look for him." _What is that reckless idiot doing? _Before I left, I called Sen, telling him the situation. I walked down many streets looking for the idiot but finding nothing. I searched until six thirty that evening. Even Sen didn't find him. _Where are you, Yoshimori?_

***Yoshimori***

When I woke up, I was tied to... an operating table? I was fully awake in that instant and tried to move, but my hands, ankles, and forehead was strapped to the table. My chest cold from the lack of a shirt. _What's going on here? Why did those two people knock me out on my way back from Karasumori? Why am I strapped to a freakin' operating table? _I struggle to free myself, but all of my power and energy was drained. I looked over and saw an IV in my arm with a clear liquid running through the tube. _Is that making me feel drained? _I didn't have to wonder long, because the two people came in.

"We have a few questions for you." One said.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Why am I here?"

They both laughed and the other replied, "We're nobody to you. And, we already told you, we have a few questions for you."Both of them had masks on, so I couldn't see their face. Their voices were disguised by a voice changer. "If you refuse to answer, we will have no choice but to make you suffer. First question, how close are you to the Yukimura family?"

I hesitated, "What's it to you?"

"We owe them a... favor." One said. "Now tell us."

"What kind of favor?" I asked.

They both laughed, "None of your business." One of them got a large knife, "Answer our question now, boy."

I knew immediately this was an interrogation; in otherwords, I was going to be tortured for information. I said nothing. The person laughed and set the cold blade against my bare chest, "Does this help you think more clearly?" I only glared at the two people. The one with the knife laughed, "Suit yourself." The knife dug into my chest and I was cut all the way to the top of my belly button, my teeth gritted in pain. Blood trickled from the wound. "Answer the question." I still refused and I was cut in the same place, the blade digging in deeper. I didn't make a sound, just gritted my teeth and tried to block out the pain. Then, they asked me something in a language I didn't even know. How was I supposed to answer that?

"Tell us everything you know about Tokine Yukimura." One said.

The blade dug in deeper and I hissed in pain, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because we can." They both said at the same time. With each question the blade dug deeper and deeper. The pain became agonizing once the person started cutting through the muscles in my chest and stomach.

This continued for hours, each question in a language I either couldn't understand or in a language I undertood, all about Tokine; not like I'd answer them anyway. Blood pooled around me on the operating table and dripped onto the floor. My head spun from the blood loss. "Let me go."

"I'm afraid we can't do that." One said and the two people left the room. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the pain. _Help me. Somebody, please, help me._

**(Two Days Later)**

They came back after what seemed like forever. My throat was dry from thirst, my eyesight unfocused from blood loss. I saw the flicker of the knife in a person's hand, "Please." I whispered, my voice cracking. "Leave me alone." After I said that, I felt the knife pierce my chest, just beside my heart. Blood flew out of my mouth and trickled down my jaw.

"We have no use for you." They said.

I couldn't breathe. Each breath I managed to take sent an agonizing pain through my chest. The next thing I knew, I was untied and being carried away from the bloody operating table. _Help me, somebody. Please._

***Tokine***

I entered Karasumori as night fell with only Sen with me. He had practically taken Yoshimori's place since his disappearance. We looked for him during the day, but it seemed futile. Suddenly, Madarao's eyes grew wide, "Yoshimori!" He surged forward, into the trees. Sen and I followed behind.

"Hakubi, do you smell anything?" I asked.

His face was full of fear, "Human blood..."

As soon as we came to a small clearing, I saw what he was talking about. A small form lay on the ground blood seeping from a fatal wound to the chest. Sen was the first to move, "Yoshimori..." He ran over to his side with me following behind.

The teen was on his side curled up in pain. Sweat mixed in with the blood coming from his mouth. "Sen... Tokine..." He clenched his eyes shut painfully.

"Yoshimori... What happened to you?" I asked, staring at the deep gashes in his chest and stomach. "Sen, we have to get him home."

He nodded and picked up the severely wounded teen. Yoshimori's breathing was slow and unsteady. When I checked his pulse, I bearly felt it; he was dying. Sen and I quickly but carefully managed to get him out of Karasumori an to the Sumimura residense. I beat on the door as loudly as I could, "Open the door! Please!" At that point, I didn't care if I woke up the entire neighborhood. The eldest Sumimura opened the door and saw Yoshimori in Sen's arms. He let us in and Sen put Yoshimori down as the old man went to get medical supplies. He returned with a bowl of water, a rag, and some more stuff.

By that point, the entire Sumimura residence was awake. Toshimori's eyes began to water at the sight of his brother and his father seemed shocked by Yoshimori's condition. Sen and I stayed in the room, hoping, praying that our friend was going to live. Two Shikigami were sent to Grandma to tell her where I was and asking, pleading for her help. She was much better in situations like this. She came over immediately and I wondered where the hostility between the two families went.

"I don't know how to close a wound this deep." Yoshimori's grandpa stated helplessly.

"Light a fire, Sumimura. We're going to have to cauterize it first to try to stop the bleeding." Grandma cleaned the wound as gently as she could while the eldest Sumimura lit a fire. She put a piece of metal into the fire and pressed against the inside of the wound. Yoshimori cried out in pain and began to struggle. "Hold him down." Grandma said. Sen grabbed one of Yoshimori's arms and I grabbed the other. Finally unconscious, he stopped struggling. I held his hand and remembered what the last thing I said to him was, immediately regretting every hurtful word. Hours later, the wound was finally stitched. "I can't say whether or not he will live, Sumimura. I'm sorry."

He shook his head, "You've done the best you can do, all that's left is to wait it out. Thank you, Yukimura."

We all stayed by the injured teen wondering if he would ever wake up.

A few hours later, Yoshimori began to talk in his sleep. "Why are... youdoingthis." His words joined together, but you could still tell what he was saying. "Please... leaveme alone." The wave of pain that went through him was visible. "Hurts."

I rested my hand against his sweaty brow, "You're going to be okay, Yoshimori." His fever was growing worse, I could feel the heat of it burning my hand. Yoshimori took in a shuddering breath and slipped into unconsciousness. A tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn't care if anybody notcied or not.

**(Three Days Later)**

***Yoshimori***

_Pain. I remember pain. I remeber the torture. I remember everything. How come I'm not dead? _I opened my eyes slightly and saw, "Tokine? Sen?" They looked at me, suprise and relief shining in their eyes.

"Thank goodness." Sen muttered, "We thought you were dead." Tears of relief filled his eyes.

I smiled weakly, "I'm not that easy to kill." I tried to move, but a spasm of pain ripped through my body. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in when the pain left.

Tokine rested her head against mine, "I'm so glad you're okay. Please, don't ever disappear again."

Even though I was in shock and pain, I managed to put an arm around her. "I won't." Then, grandpa and Tokine's grandma came in.

"Yoshimori, who done this to you?" Grandpa asked.

"I don't know. I never saw their face." I replied weakly.

Tokine's grandma asked, "What happened to you?"

Immediately, I remembered every little detail. "I was coming home and two people knocked me out. When I woke up, I was tied to an operatin table..." I shut my eyes, trying to block out the visions. "They... asked me questions..."

"About what?" Grandpa asked.

I looked at them, "Tokine... the whole Yukimura family... Something about owing a favor..." Tokine stared at me in shock, "I... didn't answer and..." The vision in my head was too real, I could feel the pain. "One of them got a knife and started to... cut me open." Tears of fear and pain trickled down my face, "I... I be-" I stopped.

Sen managed to finish the sentece, "You begged them to let you go."

I nodded, "They wouldn't, they just left for a while... They came back later and just stabbed me after saying... I wasn't useful to them... They took me to Karasumori and that's the last thing I remember." I looked at Sen and Tokine, "You found me?"

Tokine nodded, "We brought you here." Then she looked at her grandmother, "Why? Why would they do this to Yoshimori?"

She hesitated, "A long time ago, I accidently killed a person that was controling an Ayakashi. There were three sisters, I killed the youngest. They vowed revenge, but I never thought they would use the Sumimuras. I'm sorry this happened to you, Yoshimori."

Darkness took over my mind. The last thing I heard was I'm sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So, another chapter. I must thank all of my reviewers and followers! It really means a lot! And, I believe this is one of the longest chapters I have ever written! YAY! Warning: don't get used to it, unfortunately. Disclaimer for the rest of the story: I DO NOT OWN KEKKAISHI! If I did, the show would still be going! **

**(A Week Later)**

***Tokine***

Yoshmori's wounds were healing quickly and he seemed to be returning to normal. I went to visit him after school and nearly ran into him in the hallway. "Yoshimori, you should be resting!"

He smiled, "I've rested enough. Besides, the wound is nearly healed. I'm fine."

"You still have stitches and if you don't watch they're going to break." I stated. "When will you stop being so reckless? You nearly died and now you're saying you're fine? I looked for you the whole time you were gone, I was worried about you and the only thing you say is 'I'm fine'? When will you realize you hurt us every time you get hurt? When will you realize that, Yoshimori?" I yelled at him, tears filling my eyes as I ran out of the house.

Before I knew knew what happened, I felt a hand grab mine. I spun around and realized Yoshimori was hugging me. "I'm sorry, Tokine. I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never hurt you intentionally. Just... please, forgive me."

I hugged him back, my tears gone, "Try not to get hurt again."

"I'll do my best." He said and took a step away from me. I turned around but his voice stopped me. "Tokine, thanks for everything. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and Sen."

I smiled, "Thank Madarao, too. He's actually the one who found you."

"What? Madarao found me? No wonder that ghost dog has been acting like a mother-hen lately."

I laughed, "See you later, Yoshimori."

He nodded, "Yeah. See you later."

I went home, thoughts speeding around in my mind. _Why did those people do this to him? How is he even still alive, those wounds should have killed him. They were already infected by the time we got him back. What's going to happen next?_

**(Later That Day)**

***Shuji***

I was cutting vegetables when a voice behind me startled me, "You need help?"

Quickly, I turned to face my son, "Yoshimori. You should be resting. Anyway, there's not much you would be able to do here. Why don't you go ahead and go back to your room, dinner will be ready soon." I noticed his face was pale, "Yoshimori, what's wrong?" He stared, his eyes full of panic, his body shaking in fear. "Yoshimori?" He grabbed his head and fell to his knees, a painful cry ripping from his throat. "Father, get in here! Something's wrong with Yoshimori!"

He ran in the kitchen, Toshimori a few steps behind him. Father crouched down next to his grandson and put a hand on his shoulder, "Yoshimori, snap out of it." He was still shaking uncontrollably, his head facing the floor and arms wrapped around his stomach and chest. "You're home, Yoshimori. Nothing will hurt you here. Calm down, it's just a memory."

Yoshimori took in a deep breath, "Knife..."

I looked at the knife on the counter, realizing what had happened. Slowly I hugged him, "Nobody is going to hurt you."

"I was... back on the operating table..." He took a shuddering breath, "The knife... What's happening to me? It's hard to breathe..."

Father replied, "It's post traumatic stress and a panic attack, Yoshimori. You have to calm down right now."

He nodded and took a deep breath, trying to stop shaking. "How long am I going to be like this?"

"It depends on the person." Father replied. "Can you stand?"

Yoshimori nodded and rose to his feet and began to walk back to his room, still looking at the floor. Toshimori looked at his brother from the doorway, worry gleaming in his eyes. "Is he going to be all right?" He asked me. Yoshimori heard him.

"Don't worry, Toshimori..." Yoshimori put his hand on his little brother's head, "I'll be back to normal soon." He smiled at him, a shadow over his eyes; he walked to his room.

***Yoshimori***

Once I made it back to my room, the memories of what happened surged back. My breathing became faster, I couldn't breathe. _The knife... _As soon as I saw dad with the knife, I completely freaked out. I had to learn to control it. Later that night, when my brother and dad was asleep and gramps was at Karasumori, I went to the kitchen. I opened a drawer and pulled out the knife and put my hand on the dull side of the blade.

_(Flashback)_

_I struggled against the restraints holding my wrists and ankles. "Let me out of here!" I yelled as loud as I could manage. Blood poured from my wound and dripped onto the floor. Drip, drip, drip, drip... Tears of frustration, anger and pain blurred my vision. I closed my eyes, wanting this pain to end. I just wanted to be at home training or at Karasumori fighting Ayakashi with Tokine... Tokine. Her face was a clear image in my mind and Iremembered all the good times we had. I was weak, thirsty, tired... I just wanted to sleep. It seemed like I had just closed my eyes when the came back, but I was weaker than before. "Please. Let me go." I begged them._

_"We have no use for you." They said then I was stabbed in the chest. My limbs went weak, blood rose in my throat and seemed to fill my lungs. I just wanted everything to end. I wanted somebody to help me. In my thoughts I begged for help..._

_(End Flashback)_

I tore myself out of the memory and practically threw the knife back in the drawer. The overwhelming fear took over and I could feel myself on the edge of a panic attack. _No, I have to control this. I can't let my memories take over my life like this. I can't let them feel the satisfaction of thinking they won. I have to pull myself together. _I took a deep breath and focused on breathing; gradually, my heartbeat began to return to it's normal pace. I sighed and went back to my room. While I was laying down, I lifted my shirt to inspect the wound on my chest and stomach. The stitches were still there and the area around the wound was slightly red, but otherwise, it was healing great. I put my shirt down and looked at the ceiling, waiting for my life to return to normal.

I woke up late the next day, around five o'clock, and slowly got up. Gramps was asleep after working at Karasumori last night and I walked outside. The breeze was gentle and peaceful. Then, a shriek rang through the atmosphere. I was immediately alert, "Tokine!" I used kekkais and carefully got over the fence, momentarily glad I had enough strength for kekkais. I ran into Tokine's house, ignoring the dull throb of my wound. "Tokine!" I yelled at the entrance.

Another shriek filled the air, "Kill it!"

"I'm not going near it!" I heard the old lady say.

I shook my head and walked to where the all racket was. "Tokine? Old lady? You all right?"

Tokine ran over and got behind me, "Kill it, kill it!"

Over in the corner was a cockroach. It started crawling up the wall and went onto the ceiling. "Ketsu." I knocked it to the floor and applied enough pressure to trap it. Slowly, I applied enough force to kill it without getting it guts on the floor. "There, see, it's dead."

"Get it out of here!" Tokine yelled while staring at the 'evil' cockroach.

I sighed, "Okay, okay." I grabbed a newspaper from the table and used it to pick up the bug and carried it outside to eliminate it with metsu. I walked back inside and threw away the newspaper in the trash can. "There, it's gone."

Tokine didn't answer and had a disgusted look on her face. _Great, what is she going to? Buy me a new shirt again? _I shrugged, "Okay then, I'll see you later."

She grabbed my wrist and I froze. _The restraints on my wrists... No, no, no, I can't think about that! _I jerked my hand away from hers. I was stuck in the memory again. _Not now, not now! Please, not now! _It became hard to breathe. _Panic attack. Okay, I have to calm down. I'm in Tokine's house. I'm safe. I'm not with those people..._I took a deep breath and came back to reality.

"Yoshimori? Are you okay? Yoshimori?" Worry spread across her face.

I sighed, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just... I got to go." I ran out of the house and back home. _I don't want anybody to worry about me again..._

***Tokine***

"What was that about?" I wondered out loud.

Grandmother walked up beside me, "He's going through a hard time, Tokine. Just give him time."

I looked at her, "You know what's wrong with him don't you?"

She nodded, "From the looks of it, he had a panic attack."

"When I grabbed his wrist... He was restrained." I couldn't believe I had caused Yoshimori to go into a panic attack.

Grandmother nodded, "Just don't touch him for a little while. We still don't know all of the details as to what happened to him yet. Certain events are leaving him trapped in his memories, but we don't know all of the triggers. But for him to be using kekkai, I think he will be fine as long as her doesn't over-do anything."

I nodded and went to my room to think. _What did they do to him? Yoshimori's a strong person, but he couldn't take that torture. Will he ever tell me what happened to him? He still seems like the old Yoshimori, because he did kill the cockroach and asked me if I was okay. He's still himself, just not mentally. Is he trying to hide his emotions? _I sighed, _what can I do to help him?_

***Shigemori***

"Are you crazy?!" I yelled at my grandson. "You can't go back to Karasumori yet with the wounds you have! Are you really that idiotic?!"

He growled, "I just want to get back to the normal routine! Look, I won't get in your way, I just want to go!"

I yelled, "You're not going!"

"My wound is fine, I don't see why I can't-" I hit him in the stomach, not too hard but enough for him to get the point. He grabbed his stomach painfully, "Why you-"

"If an Ayakashi hit you harder than that, you'd most likely end up dead. I can't risk taking you while you're still injured. Rest and heal, then you can go back to Karasumori. Until then, the answer is no." I stated, feeling a bit sorry for him.

"Fine," Yoshimori muttered and sulked back to his room.

I shook my head and ran to Karasumori with Madarao by my side.

"How's he doing?" Madarao asked.

"He wanted to go to Karasumori tonight, but I didn't let him." I replied.

Madarao looked stunned, "He gave up that easily?"

"It took a small hit to his stomach, but yeah." I stated. "The kid's too reckless."

"Reckless or not, he is strong... and stubborn." Madarao said and I agreed. By the time we arrived at Karasumori, Tokine and Sen was already there. I greeted them and began to walk around the schoolyard.

I heard footsteps behind me, "Mr. Sumimura, how's Yoshimori?"

I looked at the Yukimura girl, "He's fine. He wanted to come here tonight, but he's not ready."

"Has he... has he had anymore panic attacks?" She asked.

I was suprised, "How do you know about that?"

"He killed a cockroach in the house today. He was going to leave without me thanking him, so I grabbed him by the wrist... He started breathing fast and he looked scared." She reported.

"What did he do after that?" I asked.

She replied, "He calmed down and went home."

"That's it? He wasn't shaking or anything?"

The girl shook her head, "He's had one before, hasn't he?"

I nodded and wondered if I should tell her the full story. From the look on her face, she was determined to know the details. "He saw a knife and done the same thing you said, but he was shaking and it took him longer to snap out of it."

"He was reliving the memory." She stated. "How can I help?"

"I don't think you can really do anything to help. He's starting to control his reactions and his strength is definately improving. I'd say he'll be able to actually fight in a few days as long as he doesn't get hit in the stomach or chest." I replied. _Maybe I should take the stitches out tomorrow... But it's only been a week... _ I ignored the thought as an Ayakashi appeared and I knew it was going to be a long night.

When I got home, Yoshimori was already up. "Hey, Gramps. I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait?" I asked, exhausted.

Yoshimori ignored me, "Those two people said they had no use for me, then just stabbed me. This has been bothering me lately, but... If I was useless to them, then why did they take me to Karasumori? If they wanted me dead, they would have just let me die there on that table. Why did they take me to Karasumori where they knew I had a chance of living?"

_The wound was worse than that before Tokine and Sen found him? It's unbelievable! _"Yoshimori, if that wound was any worse, you would have died."

"I... know that. Just," He sighed. "Never mind, I'm just overthinking."

I didn't really believe him, "Okay. I'm going to get some sleep." I stood up and went to my room then shut the door. _Just how much pain can Yoshimori take?_

**(Five Days Later)**

***Yoshimori***

I walked to Karasumori and arrived earlier than usual, even earlier than Tokine, but I didn't celebrate the small achievement. Instead, I walked to the place Tokine said she and Sen found me. I stared at the place for a moment, trying to remember anything, but I couldn't and I accepted what had truly happened.

"Yoshimori?" Tokine's voice knocked me out of my thoughts.

I smiled at her, "Tokine, how are you?"

"Hakubi said you were here. Why are you here? It just brings back bad memories." She walked beside me.

I sighed, "Tokine... I know you're probably going to think I'm lying and I've really been debating on whether to tell you this or not. I can't tell you the details of what happened to me, but... I have to talk to somebody who won't judge me or call me a liar." I sat down in the dirt, "The thing is, the last thing I remember is being stabbed. I don't remember anything until you and Sen found me, but even that's a blur. Tokine I... I died on the way here to Karasumori."

Shock filled her eyes, "What do you mean you died? Yoshimori, you were alive when we found you..."

"I remember waking up before you and Sen found me." I stated.

Tokine shook her head, "You were just unconscious. You're pulse was weak, like it was going to stop, but-"

I cut her off, "Either my pulse was about to stop or it had just started again. It was like I was in a dream, everything was dark, but I heard somebody tell me it wasn't my time to die. Tokine, every day my memory of that day gets better. I remember my heartbeat starting again... If I wasn't dead, then what else could it have been?" I put my head in my hands, "And, now, seeing knives freaks me out."

"Panic attack. Your grandfather told me. Yoshimori, I'm sorry I made you go into a panic attack the other day." She said.

I looked up at her, "Don't be sorry, I was starting to learn how to control it by then. Tokine, I'm still the same person, I just... I don't know."

Anger filled her eyes, "Yoshimori, we're going to find whoever done this to you and-"

I jumped to my feet, "No, they're too strong. I won't let you!"

"Why not?" Tokine asked, her voice raising.

"I don't want you to go through what I did!" I yelled at her. I tried to calm down, but it didn't work. "The pain was too much. I wanted to die right there on that table, but I kept thinking about you and I actually got the willpower to stay alive. You kept me alive, Tokine!" I stopped, realizing what I had said. I looked at the ground, not wanting to meet her eyes. Then, she hugged me, her breath tickling my ear.

"I missed you, Yoshimori." She stated.

I wrapped my arms around her, "I missed you, too."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here we go again...**

***Tokine***

_Why did I just hug him? _I asked myself as I walked around with Hakubi. _I mean, of course he's my friend and I have been worried about him, but... I don't know, am I just overthinking? Yoshimori seems kind of different, but will he go back to being normal soon? _As soon as I finished my thought I sensed an Ayakashi. "This way, dear." Hakubi stated and I followed him toward the Ayakashi. Before I actually saw the Ayakashi, I heard the fighting, which made me run faster.

As soon as I entered a small clearing I saw the Ayakashi swing at Yoshimori and the attack hit, sending Yoshimori to the ground holding his chest with a painful expression on his face. "Ketsu!" A blue kekkai engulfed the large creature, "Metsu!" Quickly, I used Tenketsu to absorb the Ayakashi. I turned around to see if Yoshimori was okay, but I was too late.

"Are you okay? Did you re-open the wound on your chest? You're bleeding! Do you need me to get Shigemori? Can you-" Madarao continued talking as Yoshimori sighed.

"Madarao, I'm fine. Calm down." Yoshimori said, but Madarao still wouldn't shut up. "Madarao." The dog kept talking. "Madarao." Still he didn't shut up. Yoshimori became aggarvated, "Madarao, stop mother-henning me!"

The ghost dog gasped, "I am not mother-henning you! What would you have done if you got hurt? You're still bleeding! Is your wound-"

Yoshimori shut Madarao's muzzle with both hands, "Shut up, ghost dog! I'm fine!"

Hakubi sighed, "Those two will never change."

I nodded in agreement, still wondering if Yoshimori would return to his normal self. I walked over while Madarao and Yoshimori continued their argument.

"When will you understand I'm fine?" Yoshimori yelled. "I've been fine for days!"

Madarao retaliated, "Don't give me that! Not too long ago you were nearly dead! Your chance of surviving was-"

"Nearly non-existent, I know, you don't have to keep reminding me! Just stop mother-henning me!" Yoshimori argued.

Madarao turned his head, "Fine. See if I care the next time you get hurt." He moved away from Yoshimori, anger and hurt gleaming in his eyes.

I watched as Madarao went around the corner of the school, "Hakubi, go talk to him."

"Why do I-" He started but I glared at him, "On second thought, I better go check on the old ghost dog." Hakubi followed the same trail Madarao took, leaving me and Yoshimori behind.

I sat down beside him, "He was worried about you."

Yoshimori growled in frustration, "He doesn't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself."

"Still, it wasn't right to yell at him like that. If he was hurt like you were, you'd probably do the same thing he did." I stated, "Like I said, Madarao was the one who found you; he's actually the one that saved your life."

He protested, "Hakubi could have found me, too."

"But he didn't. You should really give Madarao some credit." From the look on his face, he was barely listening. I sighed, "Yohimori, when we came to Karasumori that night, Madarao smelled your blood. Hakubi did too, but Madarao knew immediately it was you. He was terrified you were going to die and look how you treat him. He was only worried about you Yoshimori and you didn't even stop to think about how much he has gone through with you."

He looked at me with shock-filled eyes, "Madarao was afraid of me dying?" When I nodded he put his head in his hands. "I just don't want anyone to worry about me. I want to show you all I'm still the same person after what happened. I have to prove to myself..." He stopped for a moment, "I have to prove to myself I'm not afraid."

"Afraid of what, exactly? Knives? Your wrists being touched? What are you afraid of?" I asked.

He looked up at me, "I'm afraid of what those people done to me and what they will do. I have a feeling this isn't over, but I don't know where they're going to strike next. Are they going to come after me again or will it be somebody else? I ask myslef these questions every day and I can't answer them. You don't know how frustrating that is, Tokine! I'm tired of being afraid, of having to look over my shoulder all the time... I'm tired of having people worry about me when I should be worried about them!"

I sat there for a moment, "Yoshimori, you can't face this alone. Everybody you know has your back and want to help, but you won't let us. Do you know how hard it is to watch you suffer? You should let us help."

"Help? How can you help, Tokine? You weren't there when I was being tortured. Nobody was! How could anybody help then? Nobody knew where I was!" His eyes had tears in them, "I faced that alone. Nobody-" He stopped talking and looked away from me. "The whole time I was being cut, I wondered if somebody, anybody, was going to find and save me. Nobody came. The only ones who came through that door were the people torturing me. I wanted to give up, die... I wanted them to just kill me so the pain could end."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "You thought we abandoned you."

He nodded, "They told me you all knew about what was going on, but refused to help. They told me that from the beginning and I actually began to believe them."

There was nothing I could really say, "If it makes you feel better, know I will never abandon you. No matter the situation, I'll always be there for you."

Yoshimori looked at me, "Why would you be there for me in any bad situation?"

I playfully punched his shoulder, "Because we're friends, you idiot. Of course I'll be there for you, I always have been."

He smiled, "Thanks."

"Now, go apologize to-" I was cut off when the Ayakahi appeared. "Well, you can apologize later, right now-"

He cut me off, "We have to destroy an Ayakashi." Quickly, Yoshimori jumped to his feet and ran to where Madarao and Hakubi disappeared to.

A second later, Hakubi collided with Yoshimori. "It's bad! Madarao's seal is off!"

"Again? How did it come off?" I asked.

"Two people appeared and the collar just fell from his neck!" Hakubi stated and took off in the direction of the attack.

We followed and Yoshimori's eyes grew wide. "No..." He was frozen, fear in his eyes.

"Yoshimori, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

He began to shake then clenched his fist, trying to regain his composure. "It's them, Tokine. It's them."

I knew immediately what he meant, these two people in front of us were the ones that abducted and tortured Yoshimori. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He stated.

One of the intruders called out, "We have something you want and you have something we want!" _They have voice changers. _I thought to myself.

I answered, "What are you talking about?"

"Thankfully, Karasumori listens to our desires and we desired to have this." In the enemy's hand was Madarao's collar pieces. "If you give us information, we'll give you this."

"What makes you think we have information?" I asked.

The enemy shrugged, "Where does the Yukimura's live?"

_So, Grandma was right when she said they were probably looking for her. _"Why do you want to know?"

"We have unfinished business." The other enemy replied. "If you tell us where they live, nothing will happen."

Madarao ordered, "Don't tell them anything! If it comes down to it, just destroy me, but don't give them any information!"

"We weren't going to anyway and what makes you think we'll destroy you?" Yoshimori asked.

"If you don't destroy me, my Ayakashi instincts will take over, just like the last time!" Madarao yelled.

Yoshimori growled, "We're not going to destroy you!" He turned to face the two enemies, "Give me that collar now or you won't get any information at all!"

"I think not, foolish child. The only ones making demands here will be us. Now, tell us, where do the Yukimura's live?" One asked.

Neither Yoshimori or I answered.

"I'll give you ten minutes to answer, but by then the Ayakahi mutt will be destroying everything." he enemy stated.

Yoshimori looked at me, "What do we do now?"

"I don't know." I replied, "We have to get that collar back, but we can't tell them what they want to know." Seven minutes passed, we still had not plan, and Madarao was running out of time.

I sighed, "Yoshimori, do you trust me?"

"Yeah, why?" He answered.

"I have a plan, but it's risky. I'm going to offer a trade, me for the collar." I stated.

His eyes widened, "No way! I won't let you risk yourself! Besides, what if they trick us and don't give us the collar?"

"It's the only way! Do you want to save Madarao or what? You're the one who has to apply the seal, so you can't trade yourself."

He shook his head, "You don't understand-"

"I understand everything, Yoshimori, but this is the only way." I replied.

"What is your answer?" One enemy asked.

I turned to face them, "I'll trade myself for the collar!"

The enemy nodded, "That seems like a fair deal. You come and get this collar and take it to him, but if you don't hold your end of the bargain, we'll kill all of you."

I nodded in agreement and walked to them. When the collar was put in my hand, I turned around and started to walk back. Then, I was grabbed from behind, a knife pressed against my throat. The faint stench of blood made my stomach flip. "So, you noticed the smell of the blood. To put it simply, this is what we used to torture that boy over there and we haven't cleaned the blade." The enemy gestured to Yoshimori, who had worried and fearful expression on his face. We walked closer to him until we were within reach. "Give him the collar." I dropped the pieces of collar in Yoshimori's hand and allowed myself to step backward with my abductor. "Go seal the dog, if you try anything, I'll kill her."

Yosimori nodded and walked over to Madarao, who had thankfully not went berserk yet. He got on the Ayakashi's back and wrapped a Nenshi around Madarao's neck. That was when Madarao's Ayakahi instincts overpowered him. He ran around, trying to throw Yoshimori off. I couldn't help, so I just had to watch and pray that Yoshimori could pull this off on his own.

***Yoshimori***

"Be still!" I yelled at the ghost dog as I slipped the collar beads one-by-one onto the Nenshi. Madarao roared in agony and anger, but I knew I had to do this. "Madarao, be still!" I knew yelling wouldn't work and if I used a kekkai, I wouldn't have enough power to seal him. Madarao swung his tail at me, knocking me off his back and scattering the pieces of the seal. Before I could move, Madarao had me pinned to the ground with one paw. "Madarao! Snap out of it!" I managed to yell, my head spinning from the weight on my chest.

He was about to crush me when the enemy stopped him, "Madarao, we need him alive!"

The ghost dog growled and lifted his paw off my chest, allowing me to breathe again. I got to my knees and noticed my wound had reopened a little. I put my hand against it to stop the blood flow. "What do you want?" I asked the enemy, who just smiled.

_Wait, where's the other one? _I wondered and looked over my shoulder; I saw him in my periphreal vision and faced him, rising to my feet. "Ketsu!" A blue kekkai trapped him, "Metsu!" I waited for the smoke to clear, then I felt electricity course through my body. I fell to my knees, my eyes only seeing my opponet's feet.

"Don't think you can win." Something crashed into my head and I was met with darkness.

**(Time Skip)**

When I woke up, I was in my room. _Wait, my room? _I sat up quickly and looked around, making sure I wasn't delusional. I stood up and walked out my door, meeting Gramps out in the hallway. "What happened?"

"I went to Karasumori when Madarao's seal was taken off. You were unconscious, so I had to seal him myself-"

I cut him off, "Where's Tokine?"

"We were hoping you could answer that." Tokiko stated. "What happened last night, Yoshimori?"

My eyes widened, "We have to find her now! They'll hurt her!"

"Who will hurt her?" Gramps asked.

"The same ones who nearly killed me." I told them what happened last night, "Now, we have to find her!"

Tokiko shook her head, "We don't even know where she is."

I cursed, "It's my fault. I drug her into this. If I hadn't agreed with her plan, if I had traded myself instead of her... none of this would have happened! I'm going to find her and I will kill whoever hurts her!"

"Yoshimori, calm down, you're not helping the situation any." A familiar voice said from behind me.

I whirled around and faced my older brother, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to help, what else?" He answered, "We all want to help Tokine, but we have to find her first. Focus on that right now and don't get carried away, Yoshimori."

I growled, "Fine. What's our next move?"

**A/N: Good? Bad? Tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a little while. I've been really busy, plus school is back! Please, be patient! Sorry this chapter isn't very long, but I have been very, very busy! With schoolwork everything is rough! Plus, I'm officially joining my high school band on Tuesday, so I'll have practice and schoolwork! Oh, how I wish these stories would write themselves! So, hopefully I'll update soon!**

***Tokiko***

There was nothing any of us could really think about, but we all knew we had to act fast. Not even Masamori could think of anything. Since we didn't know where the place was, there was no way to act. I stared at the ground, thinking on what to do while Yoshimori paced the room, seemingly worried about his friend. Finally, Masamori spoke. "We're just going to have to wait and see what they do next."

"That's not an option!" Yoshimori yelled, slamming his hand against the wall.

Masamori looked at his brother, "It's the only option we have. We ran into the same problem when they captured you."

The young boy gritted his teeth angrily, "That's the point! Look how beat up I was when I came back!"

"There's no way to-" Masamori was cut off by Yoshimori grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"There is a way but we just have to find it! I'm not giving up on her! She protected me from them and I promised I would never let her get hurt again! It's all my fault she's in this mess!" Yoshimori yelled, still not letting go of Masamori's collar.

Masamori didn't move, "Tokine can take care of herself. Besides-"

Yoshimori's eyes gleamed in fury, "I know Tokine can take care of herself in some situations, but not this one! You don't understand what torture they put me through. How would you like feeling a knife cut through muscle, blood vessels, you name it, while, the whole time, they tell you everyone has abandoned you! They told me that as my blood dripped onto the floor and I gave up..."

"What do you mean?" Yoshimori's father asked, even though I could tell he knew what his son meant.

Yoshimori never looked at his father, "I wanted to die. That's how bad the torture was. That's why I can't let Tokine go through that! If you have a plan, I don't care how reckless or risky it is, just tell me!"

"I don't have a plan, Yoshimori. I'm sorry, but there's no way we can help if we don't know where she is!" Masamori argued.

A painful gleam passed through the young boy's eyes and he backed away from his older brother, then walked out the door, leaving us to wonder what we were going to do.

***Yoshimori***

After the argument with my brother, I ran to the only place I felt protected, a place where I could use my power freely. Karasumori loomed in front of me as I ran, tears of rage and frustration slipping down my face. I jumped over the gate and went to the place where Tokine was taken, then sat down to come up with a way to find and rescue her. _I know you're probably in the same place I was, but I don't know how to get there. Where are you, Tokine? What do I do now? What do I do? _I looked at the palms of my hands, trying to think of an answer, but coming up blank. My hands eventually clenched into a fist. _I promised I would protect you, but I don't even know where you are! What kind of friend am I? How can I let you go through the same thing I did? What if you die simply because I couldn't protect you? _I heard footsteps behind me and I whirled around, seeing it was Tokine's grandmother. I turned my back on her and stared at my hands again, not even looking up as she sat down on the ground beside me.

There was a moment silence before she spoke up, "Blaming yourself won't help us find her." I didn't say anything, so she continued, "She cares about you, Yoshimori, in a way you don't understand right now."

"I understand the way she cares about me, because I care about her the same way." I stated, not looking at Tokiko.

She nodded, "Maybe you have grown up a bit."

"If I 'grew up', then I wouldn't have let Tokine be taken by them. It's my fault she got in this mess, my fault she was captured, and my fault we can't find her."

Tokiko didn't hesitate, "How is it your fault?"

Furious, I looked at her straight in the eyes, "Because I didn't protect her! She done everything she could to protect me, but I couldn't repay her! Because I was too afraid, too immature, she was taken..." Grief overpowered the anger and my heart swelled with emotional pain, so I looked to the ground. "I should have been the one taken. I would go through Hell for Tokine, but here I am safe while she's somewhere else probably..." I stopped, not wanting and not having the emotional stability to continue. "When we find her, I'll kill whoever took her, I don't care if I have to die in the process. I'll protect her if it's the last thing I do."

"Why are you willing to risk your life to protect her?" Tokiko asked.

I sighed, "She protected me years ago, I owe her my life. And... she's like a sister to me, so I care for her."

She nodded, "I'm going back to the others, are you coming?"

I shook my head, "I need some time alone."

Tokiko rose to her feet and began to walk away, "You and Tokine share a special bond, Yoshimori. Even though I may not approve of it, the bond is there, just like this site has a bond with both of our families. Don't loose that bond, Yoshimori, or you'll loose a lot more than you think." She left and I was alone, wondering why she came to talk to me. I rose to my feet and walked to the place where the enemies had left me to die. There was nothing there now, no evidence of what happened remained. I sat down in the same spot where I nearly bled to death and wondered what I could do.

***Masamori***

Yoshimori had been gone for over an hour, but it seemed like I could still here him yelling at me. I knew he cared about Tokine and it was obvious he liked her more than he let on, but I didn't know how to help her. Not even the Shadow Organization had any ideas. My phone rang and I answered it, "Hello?"

"What are you doing here?" I heard a voice ask from the other end. "Where's Tokine?"

I was confused, "Yoshimori, what are you talking-" Then, I heard another voice, but I couldn't understand what he/she was saying. That was when I realized Yoshimori was talking to the ones who captured Tokine. I quickly went into the room where father, grandfather and Tokiko was, motioned for them to be silent, then put the phone on speaker.

"You interrogated me for information and took Tokine, what do you want other than information?" Yoshimori asked. The other person answered again, but none of us could understand them. "You're lying! She's not dead! Tokine is stronger than that!"

Finally, we could hear the voice, "She's dead, kid. We didn't need her anymore, so we killed her. The torture nearly killed you, what makes you think she made it through it?"

I looked at Tokiko and whispered, "You said you talked to Yoshimori a little bit ago, where was he?"

She whispered, "Karasumori." I ran out the door with Tokiko and grandfather, still listening to the converstaion over the phone.

"If she's dead, then prove it." Yoshimori stated.

A laugh erupted from the phone, "You want proof, then I'll take you to her."

The phone fell to the ground, "Ketsu! Metsu!" Yoshimori yelled repeatedly and, finally, everything grew silent. We all ran faster toward Karasumori and I saw something fly through the air. Using kekkais, I pursued the figure, seeing my younger brother in the figure's arms, unconscious. I caught up to them and placed a kekkai around them.

The person laughed, "You won't kill me. If you do, you'll only kill your little brother." My kekkai was broken before I knew it and pain erupted throughout my shoulder. A knife pierced through the skin and muscle, making the wound bleed around the knife. I clutched my shoulder and gritted my teeth in pain, anger, and frustration.

"Let him go." I demanded.

Another laugh, "I don't think so. Goodbye for now." A portal opened behind the figure and I watched as Yoshimori and his abductor disappeared along with the portal. I cursed, _What's going to happen now?_

**Challenges: **

**-So, what's going to happen now?**

**-Is Tokine dead?**

**-What will Masamori and the others do now?**

**-Will you review so I will be motivated to update?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I really need to be updating other stories, but a review from LionDuckling inspired me to write more, so I'm dedicating this entire chapter to him/her! Thank you so much for the review, LionDuckling and, I must thank the other supporters as well. So, LionDuckling, I'm making this chapter especially for you! In the review, you typed "...and the use of words were good enough for me to imagine myself there." So, here's a little information about me, I am pretty good with details! You want more descriptive words to imagine yourself being there, you've got it! Hopefully, you'll experiance a little movie in your head, LionDuckling, because that's what I'm going to try to accomplish! However, I don't know if I will... Also, you said Kekkaishi was your favorite anime, it's mine too! More favorites of mine include ****Bleach****, ****Ao no Exocist (Blue Exorcist)****, ****Whistle!****, and, finally, the manga ****Ares****, so I really recommend you to watch them and read the manga ****Ares****! They are all amazing! So, enough of my rambling, on with the story!**

_**"No-one's going to take me alive!**_

_**The time has come to make things right!**_

_**You and I must fight for our rights!**_

_**You and I must fight to survive!"**_

_**-Knights of Cydonia from Muse**_

***Sen***

"What do you mean they were captured?" I asked, shocked.

Masamori sighed, "Both Tokine and Yoshimori were taken, but we have no idea where they are. Sen, I know this was impossible the last time, but you need to try to find them."

I nodded, "Alright. I'll try." I crouched down on one knee and concentrated, trying to find any sign of my friends with my sensory power. After a few minutes, I shook my head, "There's no trace of them. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you tried." Masamori turned to his grandfather and Tokiko, "Do you have any ideas?"

They both shook their heads. Tokiko spoke up, "Masamori, you said a portal opened when they took Yoshimori, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Then, we may have to wait for that portal to reopen." Tokiko stated.

"There's no time!" I argued, "I have a feeling this is going be worse than the last time. If we wait too long, they may both end up dead."

***Yoshimori***

_Man, my head hurts... _I thought before I opened my eyes, only to be met with darkness. The feeling of panic rose in my chest and I tried to move, only to find my hands were restrained. I could feel my pulse speed up fearfully and I tried to move again, to no avail. The darkness was so infinite, so thick I could barely breathe... My eyes began to water and I struggled against the restraints again, yelling in frustration. _What's going on here? Where am I? _I remembered what happened to me in that instant and I felt my body go numb. _It's them. What are they going to do to me this time? Does anybody know I'm here? Is Tokine here? How can I get out? Where are those people? Why is it so hard to breathe? What is that noise? _I finally heard the strange noise and attempted to see through the darkness. Then, a light came on, blinding me for a second and sending a million needles into my head, making my headache worse. Once my eyesight adjusted, I looked around. I was in a white room with a single computer and television close to the opposite wall. A masked person stood by the door, watching me. I swallowed back the fear that rose into my chest and throat, "What do you want?"

"The same thing I wanted last time, information." The person said through the voice changer.

I growled, "I already told you I didn't have any information!"

The person stepped closer, pulling the same knife from my first interrogation from it's holster. "We didn't have any leverage then."

"What do you mean?" I asked, before it dawned on me. _Tokine!_

The person laughed, "You know, her blood is stained with this knife now, too? Poor creature, every time the knife pierced her skin-"

"Shut up!" I yelled, struggling against the restraints even more. "Where is she?!"

"She's not safe if that's what you were wanting to hear." The person said. "In fact, she's probably close to death now..."

With all the strength I possessed, I broke one of the restraints, "Ketsu!" I trapped the person in a kekkai, only to feel electricity coarse through my body. With a yell of pain and shock, I lost my concentration and the kekkai disappeared. Before I knew it, the person had the knife to my throat. Once I managed to control the pain, I glared at the set of murderous eyes staring into mine. I wanted to kill the person who caused me so much pain and suffering, the person who has hurt Tokine... The murderous intent in my heart began to become overwhelming, but I managed to surpress it and I looked away from the set of eyes.

"Come on, kid. Get angry. If you make one more move, you'll wish I would just go ahead and kill you." The person teased.

I smiled, "No matter what you do, I won't give you whatever information you want. I won't become a monster like you."

The person's eyes flickered in confusion, then became expressionless again. "We have your friend. If you don't obey, we'll kill her."

"Prove to me that you have Tokine." I stated, hoping they didn't have her, that she managed to get away somehow.

The person laughed, "Don't you hear it? That strange noise coming from the wall?"

I heard the noise I had forgotten about. _What is it? _

My captor walked over to the opposite wall and turned up the volume on the computer. The noise sounded like a drum. "Don't you understand yet, kid?" The person asked. "It's a heartbeat and not just any heartbeat." The person turned on the television, revealing a familiar face. My eyes widened, my heart nearly stopped, and my blood ran cold. _Tokine. _She was chained against the wall like I was, blood dripping down her face, neck, and chest. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow and shallow, the sound of her heartbeat slow and unsteady. _No... no no no no no... Tokine! _Tears formed in my eyes and I had to look away from the screen. "So, kid, are you going to give me the information I want? If you don't, I'll kill your friend. It's your choice: give me the information and both of you have a higher chance of surviving or refuse to tell me and watch while I kill your friend slowly and painfully. What's your choice?"

Tears of sorrow, fear, and anger slipped down my face and fell to the floor. _Tokine... What have they done to you? What can I do to help you? _I looked back at the sick, twisted person. "I want to see her."

"That can't happen." The person said.

I grew stubborn, "If you don't let me see Tokine for five minutes, I won't give you any information." _Tokine, this is the only way I can see how bad you are hurt. I'm sorry if it has to be like this, but... If I can get you out of here, I will... Even if I die trying._

***Tokiko***

I sat on the wall between my house and the Summimuras', thinking about what to do. _How come the past has come back now? Why do the children have to be involved? _The memory of that day was fresh in my mind: the day I accidently killed the enemy's younger sister controlling the ayakashi. That was the day they swore their revenge. The words could still be heard through my ears, _"One day, we will fin you, Kekkaishi. When that day comes, you'll experiance the greatest sorrow you have ever felt. We will get you back for this." _At first, I thought it was when Tokine's father was murdered, but now I wasn't too sure. I sighed and closed my eyes, then heard somebody walking on the ground behind me. "What do you want, Summimura?" I asked.

The youngest Summimura spoke up, "You're worried too, aren't you?" I looked at the boy, wondering if I could be honest with him, but he answered that for me. "It's okay to be worried, it just means you care."

I nodded at his wise words, "Yeah, I'm worried."

"But big brother and Tokine will surely find their way back here, right?" Toshimori asked. "I mean, they're both strong... they've been through worse..." I felt his sorrow and fear pierce the atmosphere, so I jumped from the wall next to him.

"They're both strong people, Toshimori. We just have to believe we will find them." I told him.

The young boy smiled at a memory, "Brother Yoshi always told me I could achieve anything if I believed in it long enough."

I smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder, "Your brother is right. Just keep believing, Toshimori. We will find them." _Dead or alive, I don't know. _I didn't dare tell him this, but I was concerned for the two young Kekkaishis' safety. The boy smiled, and ran back into the house, leaving me to wonder if Yoshimori was right. If we believed we could find the two children for long enough, would we find them?

***Tokine***

I was stuck in some sort of half awareness and half sleep. I could hear everything, but my mind was somewhere else, like I was daydreaming. I heard the door open and two sets of footsteps enter the room, the door closing, leaving only one person in the room. _Is it them? _I wondered. _Should I open my eyes or pretend to be unconscious? _I eventually decided to keep my eyes closed. A hand gently touched my cheek, "Tokine." My heart seemed to skip a beat. _No, it's a trick... It's just a trick. Yoshmori isn't really here. _"Tokine, please wake up." I remained still and I heard him sigh. "I get it, Tokine. It really is me, though. Don't wake up, make them think your unconscious. I... I had to see how bad you were hurt."

At his words, I barely moved my lips. "Yoshimori..."

"Are you all right?" He asked, as he touched the wound on my neck.

I carefully replied quietly, "It's not deep. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me." He whispered as he rested his forehead against my bloody one, his hand on mine. "Tokine, listen." He whispered again. "You have to find a way out of here. I'll try to find a way out, too, but it's going to hard. If you try to use a kekkai while restrained, you'll get shocked, so don't try it. As soon as I know you escaped, I'll be right behind you. Try to find a way out, Tokine. I know you can do it."

I was shocked, "How come you're letting me find a way out first?"

"Because, you're smarter than me. If you get out, tell everyone I'm on my way. Tell them everything we know." He whispered.

In that moment, I wanted to hit him, "You're planning on doing something crazy, aren't you."

"No, I just want you to get out first, so I don't leave you behind." He stated. "Please, Tokine. I don't have long here, just do as I say." As he said that, I felt the restraint on my right hand loosen enough to where I could get my hand through. "Wait a little while before you make you move, though. If nothing happens in about thirty minutes, get out."

"Yoshimori..." I started, but found I had nothing to say. The door opened and Yoshimori was dragged away from me. The door closed and my friend disappeared behind the metal surface.

***Yoshimori***

The person put me back into my room and put the restraints back on my wrist, "Well, what's your official decision? Since I let you talk to your friend, you'll give me the information."

"Can you just leave me alone for about an hour? I have to think about what I'm going to tell you." I stated.

The person growled, "You'll only tell lies!"

"I'll tell you the truth, just give me some time to think about how I'm going to tell you everything. Do you know how hard it is to betray your family? I need to think about it for just an hour, then I'll give you the information." I replied.

"You'll try to think of a way to escape!" My captor yelled.

I glared at him, "If you think I'm going to escape, then you can watch me! I know you have the technology for it! Besides, I didn't even get to talk to my friend, because she was unonscious!" I sighed, "Look, I'll still give you the information, just give me an hour to think."

The person pulled out the knife again, "Think on this." I was cut from my wrist to my shoulder. I winced in pain and I felt the blood emerge from the wound. The person left and I only hoped he/she was going to give me an hour, allowing Tokine enough time to get away.

**Fifty-Seven Minutes Later**

The person stormed into the room with two other people. He/she grabbed me by the forehead and slammed in painfully against the wall. "You piece of ****! You gave her the idea to get away, didn't you?"

"It seems like it worked, too." I retorted, my headache becoming even more painful.

The person laughed, "That's where your wrong. You just made me loose a leverage!"

Fear engulfed my heart, "What do you mean?"

"We had to kill the stupid girl all because of you! The only thing you had to do was give us the information!" The person yelled and punched me, making my head swing to the side, the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. "So now, we're just going to interrogate you."

I glared at him, "Look how well that worked the last time." I spat blood out of my mouth, hitting the person right in the eye. I was punched again and I felt another cut slice down my other arm. I winced painfully as the restraints were unattached from my wrists. They lead me to a room, a room covered in blood that definately couldn't be mistaken for paint. The stench filled my nose, making me gag, but I remembered this room. In the middle of the bloody interior was the same operating table. I began to struggle, but to no avail. One of them put something in my arm, making all my limbs weak. I was strapped to the bloody table in a matter of seconds, fear forming in my chest as I tried to not go into a panic attack.

"Tell us, everything you know about the Yukimuras'!" The leader of the three yelled. Before I had a chance to reply, the knife dug into the fresh scar from my chest wound. The touch of the cold metal, the feeling of blood slipping from the wound, the pain... it sent me back to my first interrogation. I wanted to struggle, but I couldn't. The same question was asked, but I didn't answer. This time, I was stabbed in the shoulder, then the knife ripped through the skin, muscle, and nerves to meet with my once healed scar. An agonizing scream erupted from my lungs. "Tell us!"

"Go to Hell!" I yelled through the pain and fear. My response was met with another wound from the knife. I could hear my blood spatter across the floor and on the enemys' clothing. The stench of my own blood and the pain from my wounds was making me sick to my stomach. _I made this decision for Tokine. I can't back out now. I won't give them what they want. I'll die to protect Tokine. I know they didn't kill her, she's too smart. If she got away, she's long gone. _Another stab wound to the once healed scar made me scream again. _I'll die to protect her. _I was stabbed again close to my heart and I could feel the blood rise to my throat. It was getting harder to breath, the blood filling my lungs, choking me, suffocating me, killing me.

***Tokine***

I knew there was a few people following me and I knew I was going to die if I was caught, so I continued running. Finally, I lost them and found a portal. Without hesitation, I stepped through the portal and found myself back at Karasumori, just above the school. Determined, I ran to the Summimuras' to tell them what had happened and where Yoshimori was. Before I left, I tried to find him, but to no avail. It was one of the few times I actually obeyed his orders, but I simply done it because I thought it was probably the best for him. Before I knew it, I was inside Yoshimori's house, everybody coming toward me with worried looks on their face. "I know where Yoshimori is."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the amazing support! I had a 51 page essay to write, two midterms to take, the PLAN test to take, and band practice along with a football game. It's been a rough two weeks!**

**"I will not fall,**

**I will not break,**

**I will shut the world away."**

**-I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin**

***Shigemori***

Tokine stopped and tried to tell us where Yoshimori was, but she gave up and motioned for us to follow her. She took two steps and stumbled, Masamori catching her before she hit the ground. Blood dripped down her neck and chest. "We have to treat your wounds, Tokine."

"We have to get Yoshimori!" She argued.

I cut in, "You're condition isn't good, Tokine. We all want to get him back, but you have to rest first while Tokiko bandages your injuries. In the meantime, tell us what happened."

"They tortured me a little for information, but I didn't tell them anything. They didn't come back for a while and Yoshimori was brought into the room. He told me a few things that helped me escape and loosened the bond on one of my wrists. He..." She stopped and bowed her head, "I knew he was going to do something reckless."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He told me to find a way out, get away first, and he would be right behind me. It was all a trick to get me out there. He used himself as a decoy in order for me to escape." Sorrow made her voice tremble and she kept her head bowed. All the men left the room while Tokiko finished bandaging Tokine's injuries. _Yoshimori, are you going to survive this time? _

***Tokine***

Finally, my injuries were bandaged. I barged out of the room and went to the others, "We have to go now." They nodded in agreement and I lead them toward Karasumori. The portal re-appeared when we stepped toward it and we were through it in seconds. We landed in the same place I had escaped and we ran toward the one place where Yoshimori was. Suspiciously, we weren't attacked by anybody there. I ran into the building I had escaped not too long ago. Cautiously, quickly, we searched the rooms. Finally, we heard a bloodcurling scream. "Yoshimori." I whispered and ran in the direction of the noise. Masamori, Shigemori, and grandmother followed me to a door. I opened it and nearly threw up. On a table, an operating table, lay Yoshimori. Blood covered him and gushed out of the wounds, parts of his insides showing, blood streaming from his mouth, nose, and ears. I ran over to him, my legs barely able to support myself. "Yo-Yoshimori..." I touched his cheek and noticed it was growing colder. "No, you can't die. Not now."

The others were by his side now, Masamori cutting the restraints off his brother's wrists. Shigemori shook his grandson's shoulder, trying to get him to stir. Grandmother just stayed where she was, horrified at the sight. I stared at my friend's bloody, dead face. The scream I heard came from the doorway and I whirled around to where the noise came from. There stood three people.

"Finally, Tokiko, you come yourself." One said. "How do you like the sight? It's pretty artistic, isn't it?" In their hand was a recorder, "We recorded everything just for you."

Anger boiled in my blood, "How the hell can you call this artistic?" I yelled and pointed at Yoshimori's dead body behind me.

They just laughed, "We have to make you feel the same pain we felt."

***Yoshimori***

Eventually, I became numb, I didn't feel the pain anymore. _I'm not going to make it this time. I'm practically already dead. I can't breathe, can't feel my heartbeat, pain... Is this death? _I saw nothing but darkness and I remembered who I was sacrificing myself for. _Tokine... _I saw her smiling one minute, then being injured by that Ayakashi when she protected me many years ago. _I finally protected you. Gramps, father, Masamori, Toshimori, eneryone... I'm sorry that I'm not going to make it. I want to go home, but that's not the way it works. When we die, we die, that's all there is to it. And, right now, death seems a lot easier than living, so... _I exhaled a small breath, _that's what I'm going to do._

"Yoshimori." A voice said through the darkness.

"Who's there?" I asked.

Laughter echoed from everywhere, "Don't say you've forgotten me already. Weren't we friends after all?" A familiar face stepped throught the veil of darkness.

I smiled, "Gen. Long time no see."

"And you're a freakin' mess." He stated.

"Mess? You actually saw all of that?" I asked.

He nodded, "Are you content?"

"Huh?" I asked, "Content with what?"

"Dying like this." Gen stated.

I turned my head a bit to think about it, "Well, yeah, I guess I am."

He sighed, "You're as foolish as ever, aren't you, Yoshimori? DId you not realize she would come back for you? Did you not realize there would still be a fight if you sacrificed yourself?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Deep in your heart, you know. Listen Yoshimori, I didn't really have a choice when I died. My heart was truly content. Now, is yours?" Gen asked.

I looked at him, "You mean, Tokine came back? She's fighting them?"

"Is your heart content, Yoshimori?"

"But... I-I protected Tokine. Sh-she... got away." I stammered.

Gen yelled, "Are you content!?"

_Am I content?_

***Masamori***

One of the enemies died by the zekkai and I went to help grandfather fight the other one. Tokine and Tokiko were fighting well on their own, every one of us enraged by Yoshimori's death. I used a kekkai to surround one, but they simply teleported to a different spot. I cursed and tried to trap my opponent into another kekkai, to no avail. A second later, I was cut from my chest to my stomach as the person teleported. I remained on my feet, but was cut in the smae spot.

"Masamori!" Tokine yelled.

The tendons in my feet were cut and I fell to the bloody floor, "Don't come here!"

I watched as my knife wielding opponent swung the knife toward my undefended neck.

"Masamori!" Grandfather yelled.

***Yoshimori***

"I... I'm not content." I stated.

Gen smiled, "You're too stubborn to be content."

The darkness faded and light replaced it. _What's going on? _I looked to be blinded by a light above me and my hearing was all jumbled. I turned my head painfully and stopped. _Wait, I can feel pain? _I willed my hearing to clear and my eyesight to focus. _A battle? _I saw Masamori, Tokine, grandfather, and Tokiko fighting against the enemies. _So, I'm alive. _

_You're alive for now, Yoshimori. If you survive from here on, it's up to you. _

_Gen, _I thought. _You're still there?_

_You know I couldn't let you fight this yourself, you're too weak. _Gen's voice stated.

_Quit insulting me! _I thought to myself. _You're dead, yet I'm the one who's weak?_

_Shut up, I died protecting your lazy butt._

_Fine, let's just hurry up and win. _I thought and watched the battle again. My brother was on his knees, a knife heading straight for his neck.

"Masamori!" Grandfather yelled.

I couldn't move, only watch as the knife went closer to my brother. Masamori dodged to the right, making the knife sink deep into his shoulder. He used a kekkai to trap the opponent, but to no avail. The whole time, I watched.

_"Do you really want it to end like this, Yoshimori?" Gen asked._

I stared at Gen, who stood beside me. _"What makes you say that? Of course I want to help!"_

Gen glared at me, _"Then get rid of the fear you have. That's the only thing that's holding you back. Don't let fear consume you, if you do, you and everyone else is dead. Is this really how you're going to repay me? By being scared when you should be fighting?"_

I grew angry, _"Don't say that! You're dead, how does this even relate to you?"_

Gen shook his head, _"They're my friends, too, Yoshimori. Do you understand that?"_

***Tokiko***

As much as I hated to admit, this was not a battle we could win. I turned to Shigemori, "We have to get out of here, now!"

He nodded and ran over to Yoshimori, carefully cradling the dead boy in his arms. Masamori still fought and I decided to help him. I used everything I knew, but all of my attacks were blocked.

"Grandmother!" I heard Tokine yell too late. I was stabbed in the leg before I could even move.

The person laughed, "You will die, Yukimura, I'll be sure of that." The knife was pulled out of my leg and sent toward my chest. I could only watch as my death quickly approached. However, a green kekkai blocked the knife's path. I glanced and saw Tokine glaring a challenge at the enemy.

"You really think you can defeat me, kid?" The enemy asked.

Tokine didn't say anything, instead, she trapped the enemy with a kekkai, to no avail. The person cut through it with a knife and attacked her. She used a kunai to block the knife, but it broke against the force of the opponent's knife. This time, a blue kekkai blocked the attack and looked at Masamori, mentally thanking him. However, I saw a confusion and disbelief on Masamori's face. I looked where he was and my jaw dropped.

The enemy noticed, "How..."

"I'm just too stubborn to give up." The familiar voice stated, "Ketsu!" A new fire shone in the boy's eyes, a fire that would ignite everything in his path. Yoshimori charged at the enemy, ignoring his bleeding wounds. The whole time he ran, the kekkai was maintained. "Metsu!" Once the smoke cleared, the enemy was still there, ready to kill. "You're not going to hurt anyone else. Not while I'm alive."

The person took off the mask, revealing a man. "Brave words, boy, but how do you plan to defend them when you can barely defend yourself?"

Yoshimori looked at us, "Get out of here, now."

Tokine argued, "Now way! The last time you said that..."

"It will be different this time." He stated, "Just trust me."

"I'm staying with you." Tokine replied, leaving no room for an argument.

Yoshimori cursed, "Fine. The rest of you get out of here, though."

"You really think you can order us around?" I asked. "We're definately staying."

I could tell he finally realized there was no point in arguing with us. He bowed his head, "Okay."

***Tokine***

After he said those words, Yoshimori activated his zekkai. However, it was different. This time, I could sense the presence of an Ayakashi. I blinked once and gasped. Beside Yoshimori was Gen and he was smiling.

***Yoshimori***

_"All right, Yoshimori, it's now or never." Gen stated from beside me._

I grinned and thought, _"Really? I didn't know that."_

_"Just shut up anf fight already."_

I smiled and broke out of my thoughts, "This is it."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I don't own Kekkaishi. And, I must thank animelover58 for the amazing idea, even though it was extremely difficult to work with! I must thank everyone who has read and supported this story as well! You all give me the determination to keep writing! You know, I may just make this the final chapter... Enjoy!**

**"It's the moment of truth**

**and the moment to lie,**

**the moment to live**

**and the moment to die."**

**-This Is War by 30 Seconds to Mars**

***Tokine***

I couldn't believe it. Yoshimori was somehow alive and able to fight. Relief coursed through me just when I heard him speak and I knew we hadn't lost yet. And, as for Gen, I was glad to see him again, even though I knew he wasn't there in the flesh. I stood beside Yoshimori and the others did the same, all of us ready to fight. I glanced at Yoshimori and saw his eyes were burning with rage and determination; the old Yoshimori was back. I turned my attention to the enemy as the man gritted his teeth and charged. We all used kekkais to attempt to block him, but to no avail. The kekkais never stopped the charging man and we soon had to step back to avoid getting stabbed.

Yoshimori froze, "Wait a minute... Isamu?"

"So, you finally recognize me." The man said and raised the knife to prepare another attack. "How long has it been? Nine years?"

I looked at Yoshimori, "You know him?"

Yoshimori nodded, "He's only a year older than me, even though he looks older and we used to be in the same class. Then he had to move away because his... mom passed away." Understanding shone in Yoshimori's eyes.

Isamu nodded, "Nine years ago my mother was murdered by that hag over there." He said, pointing to my grandmother. "When my aunts told me the truth behind her death, I knew I had to avenge my mother. You and Tokine were just pawns in this game so I could learn more about the old hag. I went through Hell until I learned how close you were to the Yukimura's, Yoshimori. I figured you were still the weak little kid you used to be." He laughed, "Looks like I was wrong. And your girlfriend was just as stubborn. Now, I have you all right where I needed you. Yoshimori, I'll be willing to let your family go since we used to be friends, but if you don't, you'll suffer the same fate as the Yukimura's. Now, what do you choose?"

I felt the change in the atmosphere when Yoshimori grew angry, "No way in Hell will I abandon my best friend and her family."

Isamu shrugged, "It's your choice." Then, he charged and swung the knife at Yoshimori's throat. However, Yoshimori activated his zekkai in the last moment and the blade snapped in half. The enemy looked at the knife and smiled. "I take it this isn't going to be an easy fight... for you all at least."

I was confused for a moment, then I finally understood. There were originally three opponents, we killed one and there were two left. We're facing one, but where was the other? I looked around, searching for any sign of the second enemy. The others, except Yoshimori, did the same. Then, Shigemori whirled around and was stabbed in the right side of his chest. Luckily, he had moved in time to avoid a fatal blow to the heart. He cursed and attempted to destroy the seemingly invisible person in a kekkai. A second later, a cut formed on my back from my left shoulder to the right one. I flinched, but still searched for the invisible attacker. Yoshimori growled, "Are you hiding because you're scared?" There was no answer. "Fine then." Yoshimori said as his impatience grew. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Without saying anything, he formed a kekkai and the invisible attacker was trapped in it. However, I realized the attacker was only moving fast, not using invisibility. Yoshimori destroyed the kekkai, leaving no trace of the attacker.

Isamu growled, "You'll pay for that." A sword seemed to appear out of nowhere and Isamu gripped it tightly in a two-handed grip. "I'll kill every last one of you." He charged toward grandmother, but changed his course at the last second, instead aiming for Shigemori. Grandmother blocked the attack with a kekkai and we all seperated to give each other room to fight. Isamu was in the middle of the circle we formed and he charged Masamori, who used his zekkai to defend himself. The sword didn't break though, which was disappointing, but at least his attacks weren't getting through. Then, Isamu dropped a package onto the floor and green flames formed a line to prevent Masamori, Shigemori, and grandmother from joining the fight. He charged at me next and I blocked with a kekkai, but he disappeared. Instinctively, I turned my head to see the sword going toward my undefended back. I felt the blade stab into my back and I lunged forward to prevent it from impaling me. I fell to my knees and attempted to get up, but failed. I heard the _whoosh _of the sword and I felt myself fall on my side, my eyes closing as a reflex. At first, I thought I was dead, but I didn't feel any pain, just a weight on top of me. I opened my eyes to see Yoshimori's back resting on my stomach, his zekkai stopping the blade from killing both of us. Surprisingly, the only pain I felt was in my back and I realized the zekkia wasn't affecting me. It was different this time, light blue mixed in with the black aura that came from the zekkai. It was warm and not a threat to me. Yoshimori's teeth were clenched, "Ketsu!" A blue kekkai formed between us and the enemy, then slammed into Isamu's stomach as it expanded, sending him crashing into the wall. Yoshimori maintained the kekkai and tried to get up, but he fell weakly to the floor, blood pooling from his wounds. However, he managed to stand up. Unfortunately, though, he lost his concentration and the kekkai failed. The pain in my back was becoming worse now and I saw a puddle of blood forming on the floor. _It must be really bad. _I thought, and turned on my side ao try to press my hand against the wound to prevent it from bleeding anymore. When I took my hand away, I noticed a black liquid mized with my blood. _The blade has poison on it. _ Isamu paused to catch his breath, then charged again. This time, Yoshimori lunged toward him with my extra kunai in his hand. I realized my two other kunais were scattered on the floor as a result from the fall. My stomach flipped when I heard to thuds and I glanced back to the battle between Yoshimori and his old friend. From behind Yoshimori, I saw the blade of the sword protruding from the middle of his back. When I looked at the enemy, I saw Yoshimori had stabbed the kunai into Isamu's neck. Blood pooled out from his neck and Isamu glared at my best friend. The sight was sickening and I was tempted to look away, but I couldn't.

Blood formed around Yoshimori's wound, "I'm sorry you went through what you did, but the past is in the past. There's no changing it. I'm sorry it has to end like this, but you left me with no choice."

Isamu glared at him and let go of the sword, then turned to my grandmother, blood still spilling from his throat. "My mother," He rasped. "Was she a good opponent?"

My grandmother hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head, "She was one of the best fighters I have ever seen."

He turned to look at Yoshimori, who still stood there with the sword through him. Isamu raised his hand in a good-bye gesture, then fell into the flames; his body was turned to charcoal in seconds. I stared at the flames, then I saw Yoshimori step back half a step before falling to his knees clutching the sword. He fell onto his side just a few feet away from me, facing me. Blood streamed steadily from his mouth and his eyes were closed. "Yoshimori." I got to my knees and painfully crawled over to him, the poison threatening to overpower me any second. I collapsed with my face close to his, being careful to not hit the sword. "Yoshimori."

He opened his eyes, "Tokine. I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked weakly.

He swallowed painfully, "Not protecting you."

Slowly, I moved my hand to brush a few strands of hair from his eyes. "You protected me. I just wasn't careful." The blood from our wounds mixed and pooled together on the floor.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with both pain and love as he rested his forehead against mine. "Tokine. I love you."

I smiled despite my pain and weakness, "Love you, too." He sighed and closed his eyes, his breathing slow and shallow. I closed my eyes as well. The last thing I heard was my own slowing heartbeat, the others yelling for us, and Yoshimori's shallow breathing.

***Toshimori***

Father and I waited outside for the others to return and I reflected back to my conversation with Tokiko.

_"But big brother and Tokine will will surely find their way back here, right? I mean, they're both strong... they've been through worse..." I said._

_"They're both strong people, Toshimori. We just have to believe we will find them." Tokiko stated._

_I remembered something Yoshimori always told me, "Brother Yoshi always told me I could achieve anything if I believed in it long enough."_

_"Your brother is right. Just keep believing , Toshimori. We will find them." Tokiko replied._

I stared at the entrance and prayed I would see everyone walk through it alive. I could tell father was worried too, because he just stayed seated beside me, watching for any sign of their arrival. "Dad... what if they don't make it back."

He looked at me sadly, then rest a hand on my shoulder, "Don't think about that. They're going to be okay." His voice was unsure and I knew he just said that to try to comfort me. We waited in silence for nearly thirty more minutes, then saw Tokiko come through the entrance. Both dad and I jumped to our feet and ran over to the arriving crowd. However, I stopped in my tracks when I saw Tokine and my brother's limp bodies. Masamori carried Yoshimori and grandfather carried Tokine. Grandfather was struggling to walk and Masamori looked like he was going to collapse any moment, but they both continued to carry the injured teens. They were all bloody, dirty, and exhausted, but my eyes remained fixed on Brother Yoshi. Blood streamed from his mouth and he had a hole between his chest and stomach that bled constantly. His face was pale and his breaths were short and shallow. Tears filled my eyes as we went into the house and dad went to kit the medical supplies while I pour water into different bowls to clean everyone's wounds. Tokiko came to help since she wasn't badly injured. I asked her, "Are they going to be okay?"

She replied, "Do you believe they will be?"

"I hope so." I replied.

"If you believe it, then it's possible." Tokiko stated and left the kitchen with a bowl of water in each hand. I followed her and she and my father began the long task of cleaning and closing wounds. Shigemori and Masamori were fine, they just had to rest to get the sword's poison out of their system. However, the wounds Tokine and Yoshimori had had to be cauterized. Neither one of them showed any sign of feeling the fire burn the meat, nerves, and muscle in order to stop the bleeding. The poison was that strong. After my father and Tokiko done what they could, we had to wait and see if the two teens were going to make it.

**(Nine Days Later)**

***Yoshimori***

At first, it felt like I was floating through the darkness. Just floating. It was peaceful, but lonely. Floating... I hated that feeling. Finally, I wasn't floating anymore and I opened my eyes, but immediately shut them. The light was too bright and it hurt my eyes. Slowly, I tried to open them again and I allowed them to adjust to the harsh light. I was lying on something soft and I was in pain. Wait, pain? I became fully aware now and I took in my surroundings. I was in my room, in my bad, bandaged around my stomach and chest like a partially wrapped mummy. Slowly, I put my hand where the sword had entered my body. _Tokine! _When I last saw her, she was stabbed, too! I quickly sat up and grabbed my stomach painfully. However, I ignored the pain and walked out my door, walking as fast as I could toward the voices I was hearing. I walked into the small dining room and saw a lot of faces turn toward me, then shine with relief. Tokine turned around and looked up at me, her eyes shining with relief as well. She went to get up, but I just got to my knees beside her and hugged her. I held her in my arms and she held me. I felt her tears of relief fall onto the skin on my neck and I was sure mine was doing the same.

**(Three Months Later)**

Three months ago, Tokine and I were injured. Three months ago, I had to kill somebody I once knew. Three months ago, I faced my greatest fear: not being able to protect Tokine. _That's in the past_, I thought as I Tokine and I sat under the undying tree on the Karasumori property. I leaned back against the tree and Tokine leaned against my chest, her head on my shoulder. My cheek was against her forehead and my arms wrapped around her stomach both respectively and protectively. Madarao and Hakubi lay a few feet apart on the other side of the tree sound asleep, not bothering us a bit. No Ayakashi showed up so far tonight and that was fine with me. I didn't want to interrupt this moment. It was just me and Tokine under the tree limbs and night sky. A shooting star zoomed across the sky.

"Make a wish." I joked.

Tokine lifted her head so her eyes could meet mine, "My wish has already been granted."

I smiled, "Really? What did you wish for?"

She lifted her lips to mine and we kissed. This contact always sent a fire running through my veins, made me dizzy with love, and my heart beat faster with every passing second. Then, we sensed an Ayakashi. Madarao and Hakubi woke up and saw us. "There's no time for this, you two lovebirds."

I ignored him and pulled away seconds later, "I know I didn't wish for an Ayakashi right now." I rose to my feet and held out my hand to Tokine, "You coming?"

"If I don't, then who will babysit you?" She asked with a smile as she grabbed my hand.

I pretended to be offended, "Who are you calling a baby?" Gently, I pulled Tokine to her feet, not letting go of her hand.

However, she pulled her hand away from mine, "Come on. Let's go destroy an Ayakashi." She began to run after Madarao and Hakubi, who were tracking the Ayakashi. I followed alongside Tokine to begin another night in our regular routine that mainly included fighting Ayakashi. Three months ago, I told Tokine I loved her. Three months ago, we became a couple. Three months ago, I made a promise to both her and myself to stay with Tokine, the love of my life, forever.

**The End**

**A/N: And, there's the end. I hope you all liked it! Also, should I do a sequel? If so, I kind of have a plan for one. Review, please, and tell me what you think!**


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